Walking in Shimoda
下田
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Distance: 9.5km
Uphill: 525m
Downhill: 525m
Level: 2/5 - Easy/moderate. Good fitness is required. Mount Shimoda Fuji is steep but aside from that, the hike is very easy.
Highlights:
History: A walk down Perry Road gives you insights into the beginning of the end of the Edo period and how the US treated the town.
Views: You get some really beautiful views on this hike even though a lot of it is in the town.
Points of Caution:
Cars: Some of the walk is in the town so be careful of cars.
Animals: A few creatures to be wary of: look out for venomous snakes. Be mindful of the mamushi (Japanese pit viper) on the trails. There are also wild boar though you are unlikely to see them in the daytime.
In the south of the Izu Peninsula in the fishing/beach/surfer town of Shimoda. It’s a bit of a party town compared to others in the region and it's always been surprisingly international. That goes all the way back to the Edo period when the Americans managed to diplomatically push the Japanese to allow them use of the port for refuelling and trade.
When you get off the train, you already feel that this is a beach town. Souvenir shops with buckets and spades greet you off the train. It is also a surprisingly enjoyable town to walk around. There is history wherever you look and some pretty nice parks and hills to climb and get views all over the town. The town sits on the harbor and has incredible crystal clear waters thanks to the Kuroshio current that runs by Shimoda. This hike is a half day meander through Shimoda, up one of two of the hills in the town, and through the historically significant parts of town. It is half hike and half sightseeing.
Hiking in Shimoda
Coming out of the station, head west and cross the road. In 10m, on your right hand side, you will see a torii gate with a staircase after it. Head on up. You are now climbing Mount Shimoda Fuji. If you don’t feel like a steep up and down climb, skip this part.
A. Shimoda Fuji is a 191m triangular shaped hill in the heart of Shimoda. Local folklore dictates that there were three sisters: the eldest was Mt. Fuji, the middle was Mt. Hachijo Fuji, and the youngest was Mt. Shimoda Fuji. Because Shimoda Fuji was the shortest, she was self-conscious and her big sister, Mt. Fuji, stood on her tiptoes just to peek over the other mountains to see how her little sister in Shimoda was doing. This is why Mt. Fuji is so tall today, and why Shimoda Fuji is revered by locals. At the top is a shrine and a good view of the town …